whats a good amp?

i've decided im going to run 2 8" kicker L7's in my 2006 DB cab behind the seats, and i was wondering what a good amp would be for powering these? i really was leaning towards the digital alpines PDX series, but i would love all your suggestions on good quallity amps

 

Well those subs are 450 RMS and 900 Peak Each. So you need an amp that puts out minimum 900RMS and max of 1800 peak... Thats gonna be one big ass amp. The Alpine PDX-M12 delivers 1200RMS @ 4 or 2 ohms total so thats just about perfect! If your on a budget but still want a very nice amp, the JL Audio entry level JX 1000/1D is great and pushes 1000w RMS but only at 2 ohms so you have to drop down your subs. No big deal if you order the right ones. JL's XD series wont work, and their HD series has the HD 1200/1 which pushes 1200 RMS @ 1.5-4 ohms. I think of the options, the Alpine PDX-M12 is the closest to the power ratings you need to obtain for the best price. It is small, digital, and overall a very high quality amp. I think the PDX is the winner. If you want to stick with Kicker products, they have a DX 1000.1 but it does not specify price or if that is RMS vs Max power ratings. In my personal experience, Kicker amps are very very inefficient. They are way too big, suck up too much power, and dont put out what they are rated for. They also have a ZXS1000.1 and ZXS1500.1 but honestly they are probably overpriced and a waste of time. If you want your system to be clean and your power ratings accurate, stick with the Alpine or JL amp. You cant go wrong there!

Source: 7 years as a Mobile Electronics Certified Professional (MECP) installer.

 

ya man i agree about the kicker amps, i've heard bad things about those.. also the JL's seems to be nice, but to be honest you should never lowball your power for your subs, especially if they're as nice as the L7's
I think im gonna go with your idea about the PDX, just as you said they are small which is already a problem with the tacos! and they stay cool... granted, they are expensive, but this isnt an area to go the cheapo route

 

as far as air space goes, what are your suggestions for those L7 8"s? what box do you kno of gets the job done for 2 subs like that? keep in mind i want these bad boys to hit as low as possible as well as keep their loudness

 

The problem with L7's is that they are power hogs and also require a much larger amount of cubic air space than most other subs. It is going to take up your entire back wall area behind the seats (hope you have a double cab). May need to build a custom box. Did you already purchase the subs? I have a connection and may be able to help you out since your local.

 

Why dont you go with JL Audio 10w1's in a ported box or try to fit w3's in a ported or sealed box. W3's are F***ing intense! This will help with a lot of things.
1: you wont have to worry about a custom box because the odd shape of the L7's and that saves money.
2: you can spend less money on a less powerful amp and get just as good if not better results.
3. You get a brand better than Kicker hands down. It is proven in many ways.
4.I can get discounts on JL/Alpine/Cerwin-Vega/Kenwood/Sony/Rockford Fosgate/Clarion/JBL/Infinity/ and Focal. No discounts on Kicker subs

 

OP, PM me with the following info. If you want me to try and hook you up, its important to answer everything fully:

-Most importantly, what is your total overall budget for this project including all parts/wiring/install/etc?

-Is your truck double cab?

-Are you keeping stock head unit or which radio do you have now or plan on installing?

-If stock radio, how to you plan on getting signal for your sub amp?

-Are you replacing speakers? Will they be amplified? What brand if already complete?

-Do you plan on using sound deadener? (VERY IMPORTANT) If so, did you include that in our budget?

- Are you doing the install or a shop/buddy?

- When do you plan on buying?

- Do you already have the L7's or are you still waiting to purchase? If waiting, then DONT BUY YET! PM me first.

Send me all this info first. I think I can help out and make this project way better/easier/cheaper for you

 

ya i noticed about the power on those things, that just made me think that these mother f@#$%^& were crazy loud! but ya i do have a 2006 DC and that would be amazing if you could help out! im in buena park by knotts berry farm haha... also ive really been looking into those new 13tw5... what do u think about putting one of those bad boys in there? i used to have 2 10 kicker comps... how would that match up? im a pretty big bass head so anything better than the comps would suffice

 

pming now!

 

oops in my PM to you I thought you said Baldwin Park not Buena Park.. oh well its still only about 20 minutes away. 91E to 57N exit temple just before the 10. Anyways, power ratings can be very misleading! More power does NOT mean more sound! That is important to remember. My entire system is a very very low wattage system and is louder, more clear, and higher quality than most systems of higher wattage.

Quick comparison.... I know home audio is different, but a speaker is a speaker regardless. When shopping for home audio, Every manufacturer clearly advertises rms and peak power rating. BOSE however does not. It is highly secured information that is NOT released to the public and can not be found online. This is for the very reason mentioned above... most people think more power=better when in fact thats false. BOSE systems use such a ridiculously low amount of power that if the power was advertised, people would not buy it. Sure, there are many brands that sound much better than bose, but they still have some extremely amazing sounding systems when considering what your actually listening too. Those small cube speakers are capable of sounding better than some floor standing speakers that are 1000x larger and use 10x more power. Its all in technology.

Moral of the story, DO NOT buy an item based on its wattage limits. People that buy Kickers 10,000 watt amp that can actually kill a person if they touch the speaker terminals at peak power are just stupid. why spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars more for something that is going to destroy your vehicles entire electrical system and take up way too much space when something a fraction of the size, cost, and power can deliver better sound results.

 

Wow that all makes sense! Never knew that about Bose!

 

I had a small thrown together stereo in my old civic hatchback. About $500 wrapped up in it. 2 amps rated at 60x2, a 10" sub in a sealed box that I built myself, and a set of Polk 6 1/2s. Sounded a lot better than most $3000 setups. Just have to know what you're buying

 

Great example! Your system quality is not about what brand you have, how much power they can handle, or any of that crap. You have to understand acoustics. Where to position the speakers, how to install them to gain the most out of them, matching up power ratings, how to properly tune your EQ, wire and fuse sizes, etc. The quality of your work and knowing how to really "design" and "build" a system goes much further than any manufacturer specification sheet.

 

I have "GOTHIC" amp.
Much cheaper--I am VERY PLEASED.
Might be worth a look--You do not PAY for the name.
Check their specs-google it.-plenty to choose from. I am running the 1200. Really pisses off the guys next to me. LOUD AS SHIT-good range--I prefer an equalizer in addition to the amp and sub(old school). I like to adjust for different artists. Not into the BOOM BOOM BOOM--Mid range acoustics is more to my liking.
Listen to Metalica,ac-dc,Stones, ect

 

I'm really thinking about putting one of those tw5's in my DC, keep hearing good things about them, I understand it's a shallow mount but a lot say it sounds as good or better than a good 12", if that's the case then I just may, what do y'all think about those?

 

Ininity Kappa 5 channel

 

Nice, what's power output? And how much those go for?

 

I think it's 375RMS but I am no pro, so I don't really know what that truly means. I can tell you that it is running a Kicker 10" in a Subthump.com box and I was stunned at the quality and performance. Crisp and clean beyond what I can stand. I think I paid about $475.00 for it? You can get them cheaper but I bought from an authorized dealer so I could get warranty support if I ever need it. I am very happy with it.

 

Check out Focal.

 

I got a hifonics for sale. Model 1006
Specs:
250 watts RMS x 2 chan. @ 4 Ohms / 500 watts RMS x 2 chan. @ 2 Ohms / 1000 watts x 1 chan. @ 4 Ohms Bridged